Ariella
I meet Aura in the woods, twenty miles from home.
She smiles at me. “Ready?”
I nod. I've known this day was coming for a while now, but it hasn't calmed my nerves over the matter. Not one bit. I'm anxious, not only for what Jaheim might say to me about Davonyé, but also how he'll react to what I’m gonna tell him.
She rests a hand on my arm. “Do not be afraid. Jaheim has already grieved for his parents. You are only showing him the truth – if he chooses to see.”
I sigh. “I know.”
“I thought it would take many, many years for us to reach this point, Ariella, but foolishly, I doubted just how great you would be.”
That makes me smile. “That means a lot, coming from you.”
She rolls her eyes; she hates when I give her compliments or talk her up in any way, but it’s the truth. She knows how amazing I think she is. “I must say, I am very much enjoying having someone to share this life with. I have always carried the burdens alone, so to be able to converse with someone else, to have them give their input in these decisions, it is most freeing.”
“Well, I'm glad I can ease some of the pressure, no matter how anxious it might make me.” I’m usually fine with these tasks now, but this is different.
This is personal.
I take a deep breath. “Let's do this.”
She pats my arm. “Let's.”
I change into a white maxi dress and listen to the conversation at my parents’ house so I can make sure we arrive at the exact time we’re meant to. The topic of Davonyé soon comes up, so Aura and I port to the kitchen of my parents’ house.
I rest a hand on my Dad’s arm, calming his defensiveness over me. “It’s okay, Dad.” ‘Jaheim doesn’t feel any way about me. Aura’s gonna still you and Harmony for a moment now.’
Jaheim looks at Dad and frowns before turning to Harmony and startling when he realises that they are both frozen in time.
“Hello, Jaheim,” Aura says softly.
His eyes widen at her. He’s remembering... “Your voice… I remember you.”
“Yes. I am Aura. I was with you when you changed.”
He nods before looking at me. ‘This must be her...’ “Ariella?”
I swallow, uncomfortably. “Yeah.”
He sighs. 'The fuck do I say to her? Do I tell her I don’t hate her? Do I mention Davonyé or wait for her to?'
Relief floods through me.
“I understand your opinion of Ariella and Davonyé may be sour, Jaheim, but if you place yourself in their situation for a moment, like I know you have already, you will understand that what happened between your sister and Davonyé was unavoidable.”
He looks back to me. “I know.”
“Everything you have done up until now and every decision you have made, prepared you for your life as it will be now. Nothing at all can come between the sacred bond of mates. Would you like to know how long it would have taken you to find Harmony if Davonyé had not been in a relationship with your sister so he was led to Ariella? Six hundred and thirty-three years, three months, one week, and five days.”
He stares at Aura, silently studying her. ‘The fuck? Six hundred years?’ I feel his heartbreak when he thinks of not having Harmony now. “So I should be grateful for what happened…”
My stomach knots. “No—”
“Yes,” Aura says. “What you must understand, and to punctuate what Harmony has already told you, everything happens for a reason. It must, in order to connect what must be connected. Davonyé begged to date Carisse because subconsciously, he needed to. Carisse came to Montréal because she both wanted and needed to. Do you see? Carisse was born to bring all of you together.”
He blinks. “So she's only here because of that?”
“You know how Evette struggled to conceive, Jaheim. Once I knew that your care would be placed in her hands, I had to make the connection.”
“Wow...” ‘This shit gets deeper by the damn second. I thought I was shocked learning there were more like me, but now they're trying to tell me whole damn people are born to make sure people are at the right place at the right time…’
“Yes. They are.”
He recoils. “You can hear my thoughts?”
“We can.”
‘Harmony never told me that shit...’ He looks me in the eyes. “I'm not angry with you. I was, I'm not gonna lie, but seeing her hurt like that, well, it hurt. I still want words with Von, whether it was his fault or not. He needs to make her understand that him breaking up with her wasn’t her fault. It’s not fair for her to think that.”
I see flickers of two futures for Carisse if Davonyé doesn’t make up some bullshit. Ugh… I don’t particularly want him talking to her, but I know he needs to so she doesn’t ruin every relationship that matters in her life. “I know.”
‘Don’t worry, Bae, I’ll do it,’ I hear Davonyé say in my mind.
‘We’ll talk later.’
“You will have your chance to speak to him,” Aura says.
‘Good…’ He leans forward to rub his head in his hands. His thoughts have diverted to his parents. “Are my parents really dead?”
Shit. My turn…
“Yes,” I answer.
His body slumps, and he sighs as he drops his hands from his face. “What really happened?”
“Ariella can show you, if you wish. I must leave now, but Ariella will be here to answer any questions you have. Think about what I have said. Do not waste time on what is not important, Jaheim, only look forward to your future. You have been through enough.” ‘Ariella. We will see each other later.’
I nod and feel her disappear to the kratius. I keep my eyes on Jaheim while he decides whether he wants to see the moment his parents died or not. He's just Harmony’s type and is exactly what she needs, too. I just wish I didn't have to know about their freaky ass shit in the bedroom, but I guess that comes with the job.
He looks up and frowns when he notices Aura gone. “Where did she go?”
“To the kratius.” I'm not gonna lie to him. I know Har told him about the other world anyway.
He nods but I can sense his unease. “How did they die?”
“Fighting in Alaska during the war Harmony told you about, between my parents and Samson. Aura used magic to make it look like they’d had a car accident so you and Evette wouldn’t try to look for them when they went missing. Would you like me to show you?”
He's quiet for even longer this time. “No. I can't do it.” ‘I can't see them die...’ “Why didn't she save them?”
“Because you needed to live with Evette. Your parents would’ve moved otherwise.”
“So they died so I could find Harmony?”
“Yes.”
He closes his eyes as if pained. This must hurt, because no matter how much he loved his parents and wished they were still here, he still wouldn't trade Har to have them back.
“There is a memory I think you should see, Jaheim.”
I feel his panic. “What is it? Does someone die?”
“No.” I take a step closer to the island. “I know you don't know me, and after what's happened, understandably, you feel a way about me, but one day we’ll be close, and you’ll trust me. So please, put aside your reservations and trust me now. Believe me, it will be worth it.”
He's worried, but then he looks at Harmony and immediately relaxes. “Okay.”
I filter through my memories to find the one I'm looking for. “I’m going to show you now. Is that okay?”